Gsfp-plant

Bee Balm or Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

  • This is part of Pollinators
  • When to observe: Year-round
  • What to observe: Bee count
  • Where to observe:
     
It tends to self-seed. It has a long summer bloom period, i.e., from July until September. It is tolerant of drought and poor soils. It can be used as a border and/or to provide contrast in an herb garden.
The Wild Bergamot or Bee Balm plant is lavender or pink in color. It will grow in height from 2-4 ft.; the spread will be 2-3 ft. The flowers are tubular and two-lipped. They rest at the apex of square stems. The flower head is bedded upon a flamboyant, leafy bract, and the shade of that bract is pink. The leaves are grayish-green in color, up to 4 inches long, oblong in shape, and toothed.
Does best in dry to medium soil and full to partial shade. It requires medium maintenance.

Gardens with this plant

Comments

trillium42 replied almost 2 years ago
Started blooming July 12th+
Flowers replied almost 2 years ago
Can someone help me?  Why does it say here that Bee Balm or Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) requires partial to full SHADE when every other site I've looked on says it requires full sun or full to partial sun? I'm interested in planting it in a partial to full shade spot but am now afraid it won't grow there. Any help is appreciated.
Groundskeeper replied almost 2 years ago
@Flowers: There's lots of stretch in descriptions of how much sun or shade plants need. Wild Bergamot will grow in shade, will grow more in part sun and about the same in full sun, if you're in a southerly location. In Missouri (I'm in Iowa, but I used to live in Missouri) it grows in the open and on forest fringes with no help from anybody. Here's what the plant database of Missouri Botanical Garden has to say. Click here. It's a big, very reliable database that the Garden has allowed YourGardenShow.com to incorporate at our site (along with a vegetable database from Cornell University).
Flowers replied over 1 year ago
@Groundskeeper: Thank you!  The database is great!
Pammr9 replied almost 2 years ago
Hi Flowers,I have bee balm growing in my rock garden. It gets about 5 hours of sun and about the same of shade, and it is growing and blooming like crazy. From what I can tell it is a very hardy plant, and does well in both locations, so I say go for it. Good luck, and hope all goes well for you with it.
Flowers replied almost 2 years ago
@Pammr9: Thank you so much!
SuzyBee replied over 1 year ago
I planted my bee balm in April, I believe, when it still looked like a stick. After a month or so, it starting growing lots of green leaves, but so far NO BLOOMS. It receives partial shade and is in an amended bed. I've given it Miracle Grow every two to three week, but last week added some chicken manure. I keep the garden moist, so perhaps it's getting too much water? Help! I'm in Spring, Texas, about 20 minutes north of Houston, zone 8a.
Pammr9 replied over 1 year ago
Hi SuzyBee,That is what mine looked like when I also planted in April, and I have pretty much done nothing else to it since then. No food, just water twice or so a week, and partial sun/shade. It is still blooming nicely, and I am in West Central Wisconsin, zone 4a I believe. Not much blooming time left up here, but she is still doing great. Maybe you have been over caring for it, that is how I killed my Lavender one year. Let me know how it goes. Take care

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